Leveling instrument.



No. 761,219. PATENTED MAY 31', 1904.

B. A. Goonwm.

LEVELING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED P1118, 1904. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 761,219. PATENTBD MAY 31, 1 904. B. A'. GOODWIN.

LEVELING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8| 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lttoweq elevation of my improved instrument.

UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEVELING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,219, dated May 31,1904. Application filed February 8, 1904. Serial No. 192,544. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern;

thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in leveling instruments used bycarpenters, surveyors, &c. and particularly to that class used inleveling land for irrigation; and my object is to produce such aninstrument as may be easily and cheaply constructed and one which willbe accurate and effective for the work for which it is designed.

This object I accomplish by the peculiar construction and adaptation ofparts hereinafter described in this specification, and particularlypointed out in the claims appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on a line X X ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached view of the upper end of anadjusting-pin. Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of a level-block holder.Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on a line y y of Fig. 3 with some ofits parts not shown.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

1 designates a circular base-plate.

2 designates a standard extending upward from the center of thebase-plate 1 and forming a component part thereof.

3 is a concave socket in the top of the standar 2.

4 designates downwardly-extending plates forming component parts of thebase-plate 2. On the plates 8 are pivot legs or supports 5. Thepositions of theselegs are regulated by means of thumb-screws 6.

7 is an adjustable circular table of the same diameter as the plate 1,resting on the standard 2 in a manner as will be hereinafter shown.

8 is an upwardly-projecting ring around the outer edge of the table 7,forming a component part thereof.

.9 is an upwardly-projecting lug in the center of the table 7, said lugand table being suitably centrally orificed for the purpose, as will beshown. 10 designates adjusting-pins provided with heads 11 and havingcurved shoulders 12 for the purpose, as will be hereinafter fully shown.Said pins fit in orifices 10 and 10 suitably located in the plate 1 andtable 7, respectively. The orifices 10 flare upwardly, and the orifices10 flare downwardly in order to give the said pins 10 full play. Thesaid pins 10 are threaded at their lower extremities, so as to receivewing-nuts 13.

14 designates a level-block holder, the position of which will behereinafter shown. The bottom of said level-block holder is centrallyorificed for a purpose, as will be shown.

15 designates orifices in the upper part of the sides of saidlevel-block holder 14.

16 designates modifications of the orifices 15.

17 is the head of a rivet seated in the socket 3.

18 is the shank of said rivet.

18 designates the end of the shank 18 flattened. The shank 18 extendsupwardly through the central orifices in the table 7, the lug 9, and thebottom of the level-block holder 14. It is then flattened, forming thepart 18 and securing the level-block 14 to the lug 9 and table 7. Therivet-head 17 is of sufiicient height to hold the bottom of the table 7slightly above the top of the standard 2, and thus give said table freeswing when it is being adjusted. The sum of the heights of the lug 9,the bottom of the level-block holder 4, and the part 18 is about equalto the height of the ring'8 or a little lower.

19 is a level-block resting on the part 18 in the level-block holder 14and on the top of the ring 8. At the extremities of said levelblock aresuitable sights 20 and 20.

21 and 21 are set-screws adapted to secure the sights 20 and 20*,respectively, to the said block 19.

22 is a longitudinal level-tube located in the center of the top of thelevel-block 14.

The operation is as follows: The plate 7, pivoted on the standard 2 bymeans of the rivet-head seated in the socket 3, is adjusted, by means ofthe adjusting-pins 10 and nuts 13, until the bubble in the level-tubeshows the level-block 19 to be level. The said block 19, seated in thelevel-block holder rotating on the shank 18 and resting on the ring 8,is turned at any angle desired, and the sights 20 and 20 are then usedin the usual manner.

Through the orifices 15 a pin andthumbscrew similar to 10 and 13 may beinserted for the purpose of tightly securing the block 19 in the holder'14, or set-screws may be inserted in the threaded orifices 16 and theblock secured by means of them. Still another method Would be to bore ahole through the block 19 and insert a bolt through it and the orifices16 and tighten it by means of a thumbscrew on the threaded portion ofsaid bolt.

I provide rounded shoulders 12 on the adjustingpins 10, so that the samewill swing freely in the orifices 10 In practice I intended to level offthe corners of the top of the standard 2, so as to give the table 7 allpossible freedom in its movement.

Any suitable sights may be substituted for the sights 20. v I

The top or side of the ring 8 may be graduated into degrees and acorresponding notch made in the block 19, so that the exact angledesired may be obtained. This is not necessary, however, for the purposefor which I use my instrument.

I have entered into a detailed description of therelative arrangementand adaptation of parts as set in the present and preferred embodirnentof my invention. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confiningmyself to such specific construction, as many changes and modificationsmay be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my claims.

I am aware that it is not new to use a sightlevel seated on a: tripod.Hence I do not broadly claim that feature; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim as new and useful,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is t 1. The herein-describedleveling instrument consisting of a suitable base-plate, a standardextending upwardly from the center of said base-plate and forming acomponent part thereof, a concave socket in the top of said standard,downwardly-projecting plates forming component parts of said base-plate,suitable legs attached to said plates, means for regulating the positionof said legs on said plates, a rivet-head seated in the socket in thetop of the said standard, an upwardly-project ing shank on said rivet,an adjustable table fitted on said shank, a level-block holder alsofitted on said shank above said table, the head of said shank beingflattened so as to secure said table, level-block holder, and rivet-headtogether, an upwardly-projecting ring around the outer .edge of saidtable forming a component part thereof, a level-block, provided with alevel-tube, seated in said level-block holder and resting at its ends onthe said upwardly-projecting ring, suitable sights on said block, andsuitable adjusting-pins connecting the said table to the saidbase-plate, all as set forth and described.

2. The combination with a base-plate provided with a standard 2 having aconcave socket 3 in the top thereof, and a suitable tripod, of a table 7provided with the upwardprojecting lug 9, said table and lug beingcentrally orificed, the level-block holder 14, said holder beingcentrally orificed in the bottom thereof, the rivet 17 18 18 joiningsaid plate and holder together, the rivet-head 17 seated in the socket3, the upwardly-projecting ring 8 forming a component part of the table7, the adjusting-pins 10, provided with heads 11 and shoulders 12,connecting the table and the base-plate, said pins being threaded attheir lower ends and receiving wing-nuts 13, said nuts bearing againstthe under face of said base-plate, the level-block 19 seated in theholder 14 and resting on the ring 8, said block being provided withsuitable level-tube and sights, all as set forth.

3. The base-plate 1, the standard 2 projecting upwardly from the centerof said baseplate and forminga component part thereof, the concavesocket 3 located in the top of the standard 2, the downwardly-projectingplates 4 forming component parts of the base-plate 1, the legs 5attached to said plates 4, the screws 6 adapted to secure the positionof said legs on said plates 4, the table 7, the upwardly-projectingrings 8 forming a component part of the table 7 at the circumferencethereof, the upwardly-projecting lug 9 forming a component part of thetable 7 at the center thereof, said lug'and table being centrallyorificed, the level-block holder 14, said holder being centrallyorificed in the bottom thereof, the rivet 17 18 18 binding the table7and holder 14 together, the rivet-head 17 seated in the socket 8, saidrivet-head being of sufiicient size to hold said table a little distanceabove the top of the standard 2, the orifices 10" located at suitablepoints in the plate 1 and flaring upwardly, the orifices 10" located inthe table 7 at points directly opposite the orifices 10 and flaringdownwardly, the adjusting-pins 10 provided with heads 11 and curvedshoulders 12, said pins operating in the slots 10 and 10, threading onthe lower ends of said pins, the nuts 13 on said threading, the block 19seated in the holder 14 and resting on the ring 8, said block being pro-Igo vided with a suitable level-tube and sights, and the orifices 16 inthe holder .14 adapted to receive set-screws to fasten the block 19 inthe said holder, all as set forth.

4. A device of the type set forth, comprising a base-plate having astandard formed with a socket on its top, a table having anupwardly-extending ring about its edge, a level-holder of U shape on thetable, a rivet passed through the holder and table and having its endsheaded, the'lower end of the rivet being shaped to seat in said socket,and bolts having their heads seating on the table and their lower endspassed through the baseplate with nuts on the lower ends bearing 5against the under face of the base-plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN A. GOODWIN.

Witnesses:

PERCY S. WEBSTER, JOSHUA B. WEBSTER.

